Divider for harvesters and the like



April 18, 1939.

zz l 21 7 6 G. A STOPHER DIVIDER FOR HARVESTERS AND THE LIKE Filed May 16, 1938 Geofi 6A.

INVENTOR. BY

ATTORNEYS.

3 Sheets-Sheet l April 18, 1939. G. A. STOPHER 2,154,588

DIVIDER FOR HARVESTERS AND THE LIKE Filed May 16, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 1 BY /1 I A TTORNEYS.

April 18, 1939. G A, STQPHER I 2,154,588

DIVIDER FOR HARVESTERS AND THE LIKE Filed May 16, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet s GeorgeA.SZ'ap/wr IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 18, 1939 UNlTED STATES rATs-r F DIVIDER FOE HARVESTERS AND THE LIKE George A. Stopher, Mount Pulaski, Ill.

Application May 16, 1938, Serial No. 208,307

1 Claim.

This invention relates to dividers for use with harvesters or the like and is designed primarily as a means for cutting through matted fallen vegetation such as vines, beaten straw, etc., which frequently interferes materially with the proper operation of the agricultural machine.

Various devices such as mowers or the like have been employed for this purpose and have not been found satisfactory under all conditions and it is an object of the present invention to provide a simple, compact and efiicient rotary device which can be attached readily to a divider and will operate to cut through the matted vegetation, thereby clearing a path through which the divider can travel without interference.

A still further object is to provide a device of this character which can be applied readily to machines already in use or can be built into new structures without changing them materially.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a top plan View of a divider and adjacent parts, the same being equipped with the present improvements.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an elevation of the drive mechanism employed in connection with the attachment.

Figure 4 is an enlarged elevation of the inner side of the attachment.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the structure shown in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a section on line 6-5, Figure 4.

Figure '2' is a detail view of the stationary member.

Figure 8 is a detail view of the rotating member.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference l designates one of the dividers of a harvester or the like the samebeing located at one side of an endless conveyer belt 2 which, as shown, is inclined upwardly and backwardly from the sickle bar 3 used for cutting the vegetation in the path thereof. The usual reel 4 is supported above the forward end of the sickle and apron for the purpose of throwing out material back onto the apron.

An opening 5 is formed in the divider l adjacent to the front edge thereof and secured to the outer side of the divider is a bearing sleeve 6 having a flange 1 through which attaching means e are extended. These attaching means also serve to fasten onto the inner side of the divider I a stationary disk 9 which, as shown particularly in Figures 2 and 7 has a substantially rectangular recess l0 extending into the periphery thereof. The lower wall of this recess is straight as indicated at H and extends along and close to the forward inclined edge l2 of the divider. The upper wall of the recess Ill has been shown at It and extends upwardly and forwardly away from the edge l2 of the divider so as to cooperate therewith to form a throat into which deflected material will be forced as the divider works into said material. This edge 13 is preferably toothed or serrated as shown and extending from disk 9 adjacent to the upper end of the edge I2 is a deflecting finger M inclined upwardly and forwardly away from the divider.

Sleeve 6 constitutes a bearing for a shaft l5 which extends through the opening 5 and through an opening iii in the center of disk 9, this shaft being provided at one end with a flat head ll which laps and is riveted or otherwise fastened to a rotary cutter is formed from a flat disk of suitable metal. The cutter is provided with radial cutting edges l9 spaced apart regularly, the back edge of each wing or blade of the cutter being curved gently from the outer or pointed end of the wing or blade to the inner end of the next adjoining cutting edge as shown at 2!] in the drawings. The advancing or cutting edges [9 of the rotary cutter are preferably toothed or serrated as shown and are adapted successively to wipe upwardly and rearwardly past the cutting or serrated edge 13 of the disk 9 when the shaft I5 is rotated in the proper direction.

A sprocket 2| is secured to the outer end portion of shaft l5 so as to rotate therewith and this sprocket thrusts laterally against bearing sleeve 6 so as thus to hold the shaft against longitudinal movement and to maintain the rotary cutter l8 snugly against the adjacent side of the disk 9. Obviously by loosening the setscrew 22 which is used for holding the sprocket to the shaft, the shaft can be adjusted to tighten the contact between cutter l8 and disk 9.

Sprocket 2| is adapted to receive motion through a chain 23 from a sprocket 24 which rotates with one of the shafts 25 of apron 2.

It will be apparent that when a harvester or the like equipped with these improvements, is directed into a matted mass of vegetation, the cutter l8, which is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow, will have its advancing edges I 9 cooperate with the stationary edge l3 so as to shear through this matted material as it is deflected upwardly along the inclined advancing edge l2 of the divider and thence into the space In formed in the disk 9. Consequently the cooperating cutting element will quickly cut through this matted material and leave a clear space through which the divider can travel without being undesirably obstructed. The finger l4 serves to prevent the matted material from crowding over the end of the divider faster than it can be cut and, instead, deflects all of such material back into position in the path of the rotary cutter.

What is claimed is:

In a harvester or the like a divider having an upwardly and rearwardly inclined forward edge constituting a lifter for fallen grain or the like, a member secured to the inner side of the divider and having a cutting edge inclined upwardly and forwardly from said lifting edge and constituting an abutment for matted material sliding upwardly along the lifting edge of the divider, a cutter mounted for rotation at one side of the member and having spaced cutting edges for successively moving upwardly past the lifting edge and across the cutting edge of said member, thereby to shear through the material in the path of the abutment edge, driving mechanism at the outer side of the divider for actuating the rotary cutter and holding it in operative relation to the member, and a forwardly and upwardly extending deflecting element extending from said member and beyond the cutting edge thereof said element overhanging a portion of the lifting edge of the divider.

GEORGE A. STOPHER. 

